Hungary to become the first non-smoking country in the EU?

János Lázár, Hungarian politician and former leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, suggested in front of the Parliament of Hungary that elaborate plans are needed to avoid people below eighteen to become smokers and to protect those who do not smoke. The most important part of the project would be to make Hungary the first non-smoking country in the European Union.

Portfólió reported that Lázár’s suggestion would contain points like making striker rules about smoking areas, financial penalty if someone smokes where it is forbidden, and to close traffics which serve cigarettes to Hungarian persons below eighteen. According to the politician, in the next twenty years, all traditional cigarette products should be banned in the country in order to quit people from smoking.

Lázár would also ban e-cigarettes, which promise not to cause cancer because they are nicotine free, but the politician disagrees with this factor.

Also, the suggestion would ban every traffic from promoting their products. The politician also put his points on the prime minister’s desk in which he emphasises that smoking in vehicles, in blocks of flats’ yards and must be also banned in the future, and he also does not want to serve cigarettes to Hungarian residents born after 2020. He believes that due to the country’s economic and demographic situation, the government soon would not have any other options.

Last year, an approximate 20–22 thousand people died because of smoking in Hungary. Each year, 30–35 thousand Hungarian people are diagnosed with cancer and 10,000 of them suffers from lung cancer. Currently, there are 2.5 million smokers in the country which means 7.6 billion cigarettes. This amount equals 700 billion HUF (2 million EUR).

He added that making several party areas, restaurants, pubs, hotels non-smoking areas and introducing traffics in the country where only adults can buy cigarettes; these steps are still not enough to stop people.

The government supports Lázár’s plan and further steps will be taken soon.

Source: www.portfolio.hu